Panda ants are not actually ants but are rather wasps in the Mutillidae family. The wingless females look like an ant while the male will look like a wasp. This particular wasp is distinct because of its panda like markings.
These wasps, which can be found in Chile and Argentina, are solitary, do not live in colonies or have “nests,” and are not aggressive. However, the panda-ant is parasitic, and lays its eggs on or near other ground-nesting insect larva or pupa; the hatched young then use the larva as a food source.
Reference:http://pandaant.org/
Photo Source: Chris Lukhaup
No comments:
Post a Comment